D-Day, H-Hour

“The most difficult and complicated operation ever to take place.” Winston Churchill

“The destruction of the enemy’s landing is the sole decisive factor in the whole conduct of the war and hence in its final results.” Adolf Hitler

“The history of war does not know of an undertaking comparable to it for breadth of conception, grandeur of scale, and mastery of execution” Joseph Stalin

“Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking” Dwight D. Eisenhower, Order of the Day, June 4, 1944

“In this column I want to tell you what the opening of the second front entailed, so that you can know and appreciate and forever be humbly grateful to those both dead and alive who did it for you” Ernie Pyle, June 12, 1944

Today is the anniversary of D-Day, the Allied Forces attach and landing on the beaches in Normandy France. From all the accounts that I have read it was a gut wrenching order, with death, and dismemberment on both sides of the war. Stephen Ambrose wrote a book titled, D-Day June 6, 1944, The Climactic Battle of World War II. The book has a great deal of good information, as well as many stories about the landing and the days that followed from participants in the battle. The sacrifices that the troops made were immense, as one reported put it, “This is the battle between democracy and dictatorship, can the boys of democracy be tough enough to battle and win those boys which had been whipped in to shape by a dictator.

Today I went to the Doctor and had the pleasure of being poked, prodded and examined. This evening I got to play golf. I managed o shoot a 51, and had a blast!!!